Volkswagen in Geneva: international debut of the new
Scirocco

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - Volkswagen is putting on a spectacular
parade of new models in Geneva with a host of international product debuts.
Taking centre stage will be the highlight of the show, the new Scirocco
– a completely re-engineered all-round sports car. Another vehicle
being showcased at Lake Geneva is the Golf TDI Hybrid. This concept car
runs on just 3.4 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres. The 150-PS Passat
Estate TSI EcoFuel, also debuting in Geneva, represents a technology leap
for automobiles run on natural gas. Other Volkswagen world premieres will
be the extremely fuel-efficient Sharan BlueMotion (6.0 litres per 100 km)
and the four-wheel-drive Golf Estate 4Motion. The Passat CC will also be on
display for the first time ever in Europe.

It's back: 34 years after the first Scirocco was unveiled to a waiting
world at the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen is presenting a new Scirocco for
a new era at the same venue. Now as then, the coupé is inspired by the
fascinating idea of creating a sports car for every day of the year at
truly affordable prices. And that is the essence of the Scirocco: the
successful marriage top technology and low running costs, dynamic
performance and high comfort, a surprisingly spacious interior and an
uncompromising sporty design. As the Volkswagen Group's Chairman of the
Board of Management, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, commented: "What we have
done with the Scirocco is to put the kind of sports car in our showrooms
that people have dreamed of owning. A dream that a good deal of motorists
– in spite of all the high-end engineering we have integrated –
can actually afford." The Scirocco will be launched Europe-wide in late
summer with prices in Germany starting at 21,750 euros; other countries
will follow over the course of the next year.

With its Golf TDI Hybrid, Volkswagen demonstrates the potential inherent
in the combination of a high-tech diesel engine, an electric motor and
7-speed DSG technology. On show for the first time in the world at the
Geneva Motor Show, the concept car consumes no more than 3.4 litres of
diesel fuel per 100 kilometres. The powerful full-hybrid Golf TDI Hybrid
can be run either in internal-combustion mode only or in mixed operation
– the powerful yet thrifty combination of TDI and electric motor. The
car is also designed to run on emissions-free electric power only. Power
transmission to the front axle is managed by a 7-speed DSG gearbox. In city
traffic, the automatic stop-start system will even switch off the
turbo-diesel when the vehicle is stationary.

The Passat Estate TSI EcoFuel being premiered in Geneva marks the
beginning of a new era for natural-gas-fuelled automobiles. Until now,
passenger cars powered by eco-friendly, low-consumption natural gas have
tended to be "mild mannered". The Passat changes that once and for all with
its 110-kW / 150-PS TSI engine. And yet the direct-injection turbo engine
in the Passat, specifically designed to run on natural gas, consumes no
more than 5.2 kilograms of gas per 100 kilometres. The Passat and the
Passat Estate TSI EcoFuel are due to be launched on the market around
year-end.

Volkswagen is continuing its BlueMotion campaign in 2008. The latest
model in the series is the Sharan BlueMotion on display for the first time
at the Geneva show. With an extremely low average fuel consumption of 6.0
litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, the Sharan BlueMotion uses 0.7 of a
litre less than the "conventional" model. By the same token, CO2 emissions
are reduced from 177 g/km to 159 g/km. These are first-rate values for a
seven-seater van with up to 2,610 litres of cargo volume and a permissible
gross vehicle weight of 2,510 kilograms. This Volkswagen is driven by a
103-kW / 140-PS TDI engine complete with a diesel particulate filter (DPF).
The BlueMotion option is available in combination with the Trendline and
Comfortline equipment packages. Deliveries of the vehicle are scheduled to
commence this summer.

As of now, Volkswagen is offering the Golf Estate in a version with
permanent four-wheel drive. This automobile is designed to enable as much
as 100 percent of the engine torque to be transmitted to the rear wheels
should extreme circumstances require. This gives the Golf Estate TDI
4Motion the best possible grip even in the most adverse conditions. The
4Motion system is coupled with a fuel-efficient, high-torque TDI engine
that delivers 77 KW / 105 PS. The Golf Estate TDI 4Motion accelerates from
0 to 100 km/h in 12.9 seconds, has a top speed of 185 km/h and consumes
just 6.0 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres. An attractive advantage for
drivers with towing requirements is that the Golf Estate TDI 4Motion is
permitted to tow as much as 1,500 kilograms on gradients of up to twelve
per cent – that’s 100 kilograms more than its front-wheel-drive
counterpart.